Adventures in Officeland: Is Your Cubicle a Deathtrap?

Even if you don’t work in landmine testing or international espionage, your workplace can be dangerous. How safe is your office?

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Question 1 of 20

Approximately how many injuries do American office workers sustain on the job each year?

15,000

40,000

75,000

According to the U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), office workers sustain more than 75,000 injuries annually, including sprains, strains and broken bones.

Question 2 of 20

Which of these office mishaps most often causes disabling injuries on the job?

furniture collapses

falls

OSHA reports that falls are most common cause of disabling injuries sustained at work.

thrown staplers

Question 3 of 20

Where should large office items like file cabinets and photocopiers be placed in a workspace?

in the break room

in the meeting room

away from high-traffic areas

Large items and equipment should be located in an area of the office with low foot traffic to protect against tripping over or walking into the equipment.

Question 4 of 20

An employee who reports unsafe working conditions to OSHA is subject to what?

death by firing squad

demotion

protection

An employee who notifies OSHA about hazardous conditions at his or her workplace is legally protected from being fired, demoted or any other retaliatory behavior from the employer.

Question 5 of 20

How do the majority of paper shredder accidents occur?

while feeding paper into the shredder

According to the Consumer Product Safety Commission, the majority of shredder-related injuries occur while feeding paper into the machine.

while plugging in or unplugging the machine

while emptying the shredded paper basket

Question 6 of 20

Which of the following is a proper safety precaution for using a file cabinet?

leaving cabinets open when walking away to take a phone call

opening only one cabinet at a time

When using the file cabinet, you should only open one drawer at a time to avoid tip-overs from uneven weight distribution, and be sure that all the drawers are closed before walking away.

Unlike incisions from razor blades or scissors, paper deposits material in the wound as it cuts, which causes that all-too-familiar sting.

Paper cuts are typically deeper than other types of skin cuts.

Paper is sharper than typical cutting instruments.

Question 9 of 20

Which of the following is a common cause of paper cuts?

discarded Post-it notes

one sheet of paper misaligned in a stack

Paper cuts are often caused by a single sheet of paper that has been slightly dislocated from a stack so that the handler doesn't notice a sharp protruding edge.

the paper cut fairy

Question 10 of 20

Which of these employees is more likely to be injured on the job?

a government employee

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the rate of injuries among private industry workers was 3.4 per 100 full-time workers in 2010, while the rate in the public sector was 5.7 per 100.

an employee of a private company

self-employed workers

Question 11 of 20

When using a staple remover, what should you do first?

Open the staple from behind.

A staple remover should be used to open the prongs of the staple from behind, with the document face down; then remove the staple by pulling on the front of it after the document is flipped over.

Pull the front of the staple from the document.

Put the document face up on a flat surface.

Question 12 of 20

Which of the following is an indication that you are correctly sitting in an office chair?

Your feet hang just above the floor.

Your thighs are parallel to the ground.

When sitting in the chair, your feet should rest flat on the floor; your thighs should be parallel to the ground; and the seat front should not press against the back of your knees or lower legs.

You are able to rock back and forth on the chair's legs or wheels without falling over.

Question 13 of 20

Proper photocopying machine care includes which of the following?

If the machine stops working, hit it with a baseball bat.

Store the machine in unventilated areas of an office space.

Keep the document cover closed while the machine is in use.

The machine's document cover should be closed while in use to avoid exposing your eyes to potentially damaging light. The machine should be in a well-ventilated area to minimize indoor air pollution.

Question 14 of 20

Which of the following should be done to avoid falling and tripping accidents?

Clean floors regularly and clear them of any loose material.

Office floors should be cleaned regularly and cleared of any loose material to prevent falling and tripping accidents.

Store printers, copiers and the like in narrow hallways.

Never use stairs.

Question 15 of 20

Which of the following types of records are employers required to keep?

a list of employees most likely to photocopy their naked body parts

results of the office blood drive

records of on-the-job injuries, illnesses and deaths

Federal and state laws require employers to keep track of occupational deaths, injuries and illnesses, and to make certain reports to OSHA and the Bureau of Labor Statistics, including documentation of any fatalities or accidents that result in three or more employees going to the hospital.

Question 16 of 20

What is a cable raceway?

a cord protector

A cable raceway is a plastic guard that shields cords, wires and cables from foot traffic in walkways.

a track for racing San Francisco cable cars

a wire on the Information Superhighway

Question 17 of 20

When should a paper shredder be unplugged?

when the electricity goes out

when not in use

To avoid injury, a paper shredder should be unplugged when not in use or when you're attempting to clear a paper jam.

when shredding confidential documents

Question 18 of 20

When should office cleaning take place?

Tuesdays at noon

around the time most employees arrive in the morning

when most employees are out of the office

Employers should schedule office cleaning for times when most employees are not in the office to avoid exposing them to cleaners and chemicals.

Question 19 of 20

Which of these safety precautions should be taken when storing office cleaning products?

Store them in their original containers.

Cleaning products should always be stored in their original containers so that users know which products they are using and can refer to safety instructions.

Mix and match products in one container for ease of use.

Keep them on the desks of co-workers who seem to have abandoned good personal hygeine.

Question 20 of 20

Employees should do which of the following if a copy machine is leaking toner or other chemicals?

Run.

Avoid skin contact with chemicals.

You should avoid direct skin contact with leaking chemicals and promptly wipe up any spills.

Take the toner cartridge out, shake it and put it back in the machine.